Sunday, 6 March 2011

MANDY AWESTRUCK

Sir Derek Jacobi in King Lear
I so admire Sir Derek Jacobi and have watched everything he has done on TV and Film. Not for one minute did I ever expect that he would come to The Grand Opera House Belfast in, and as, King Lear.
To be honest I was dumbfounded. Not knowing anyone who was likely to go with me I booked myself a ticket then low and behold it transpired that Isobel (our Izzy) loves the theatre and Shakespeare. I tried online to get her a seat next to me but there wasn’t one. I called the box office and explained the situation and the best they could offer her was a seat many rows behind me so I said no thanks, I’ll get back to you. Back to the web site again! I had reserved seat A23 in Gods and was able to book Izzy B23 … right behind me. Have to say Gods gives me the hee-bee-gee-bees because it is so high up but you do get a great view of the stage. 
We took the 10.50 train from Ballymoney and decided to have lunch at the Fitzwilliam Hotel. They only do Bar Snack food on Saturday afternoons and I have to say that I was rather disappointed by the limited selection on the menu. The food was OK but nothing to recommend it and £9 for a club sandwich was a tad OTT. The service was extremely slow and we had to neck our Cappuccino’s in order to get to the performance on time. We made in by the skin of our teeth.
Izzy and I brought a bottle of Irish Mist for the grand man himself but we didn’t know where the stage door was and had to give it to an usher. I was hoping they would deliver it to his dressing room so that he would have it in the interval and we might have got to meet him. But methinks it would have been left at the stage door desk and he would not have gotten it until he left the theatre.
As the play is long it was after six o’clock before we exited the Grand Opera House and the evening performance was at seven thirty. Even if we camped outside the stage door (which apparently is on Glengall Street) he probably didn’t have time to leave the theatre and didn’t get the Mist until he was going to his hotel. It doesn’t matter. Tiger said I should prepare myself for the chance that I would not get the opportunity to meet him.
Izzy and I were talking to people beside us and I was explaining that we hadn’t been able to get seats together. An absolute gentleman beside her said he would be happy to swap seats with me. Chivalry is not dead. It turned out there was an empty seat beside us so in the intermission I leaned over and told him he could come back up again but he reckoned he had got the better deal because he had more leg room.
I know I am rambling but my heed is full of wee sweetie mice.
The long suffering Tiger is exhausted listening to me telling every detail … over and over. Enough of the rambling!
I have never experienced anything like it and it will live in my heart for ever. All the cast were brilliant. Sir Derek Jacobi was … forsooth, there are not enough words to describe his performance; fabulous, funny and heartbreakingly wonderful beyond belief does not begin to do it justice. I was riveted.
I feel extremely privileged to have seen such a consummate actor doing what he does best.
Most of us gave him a standing ovation. It was a deeply moving and wonderful performance at the same time. We talked with people on the way out and a grown man told us he had seen another actor play King Lear but it did not compare to Sir Derek’s. He too admitted to shedding tears at Sir Derek Jacobi’s performance. I heard a lot of snuffs and nose blowing and I don’t think we were the only ones moved to tears.
It is perhaps a good thing I didn’t get to meet him as I would either have babbled like an idiot or fainted. Or both!
Izzy and I had the best day out. It is 03.00 hours as I write this and I thought I was exhausted but I cannot settle until I have shared our experiences.
I have always thought the world of her and Tiger just loves her to bits and she him. For her part Izzy enjoyed our day and I am so thankful that she came with me. As I never de-valved except during the play she must be in tatters. She will probably need therapy as so many peeps that spend time with me tend too. But we go back a long way and she is the most caring and understanding person I have ever meet. Izzy would make a great therapist. She cares for people who are ill and I don’t know how she does it. Izzy’s brother and my brother died in road accidents and had similar injuries. We are bonded in more ways than one and always will be.
Thank you for coming with me honey bunny. And thank you to the lovely man who gave up his seat for me.              
            

1 comment:

  1. Have you seen his latest role in The Borgias? He plays a cardinal that tries to poison the pope.

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